Ok , so basically I want to buy filmmaking gear for my GCSE Media studies course. I've noticied students of such courses tend to use their camera microphone which results in horrible audio quality. So what I want is to buy a camcorder with an audio input and a boom microphone. The problem is that camcorders of my price range don't have XLR inputs. But I've heard something about Phantom power... I don't have much money so.. A little help please?
A little help with decision...
- Thread starter Grakin
- Start date
Welcome to Indietalk! You've got the right idea so far - to achieve the best quality sound, you need a microphone off the camera and as close to the subject as possible.
Phantom power is just a way of supplying microphones with power over an XLR cable - some microphones need it, others don't, and I wouldn't worry about it too much at this stage.
What kind of budget are you looking at, and are you buying a camera and sound gear?
Phantom power is just a way of supplying microphones with power over an XLR cable - some microphones need it, others don't, and I wouldn't worry about it too much at this stage.
What kind of budget are you looking at, and are you buying a camera and sound gear?
A camera and sound gear , yea. Well , about £600. It'll be approx. 900$. Can't be very serious about it since I don't earn money myself yet 
What would you suggest with that kind of budget?
Oh and I'll be living in London. It would be easier for me if you tell me where to buy it there. Thanks!
What would you suggest with that kind of budget? Oh and I'll be living in London. It would be easier for me if you tell me where to buy it there. Thanks!
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You're not going to find XLR inputs on a camera in that price range. Just doesn't happen. There are a couple of options, however.
1) Buy only mics that can be battery powered.
The Rode NTG-2 is one such mic, and comes in a kit with a shock mount and an XLR to 3.5mm impedance transformer for $280. It's a popular mic. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a comparable cardioid mic.
2) Buy an XLR to 3.5 adapter/preamp.
These attach to the bottom of your camera (where your tripod goes) and provide phantom power as well as amplification for your mics. Beachtek and juicedLink are good brands, and you can find them used on eBay for $100.
Is $900 your budget for everything? Hm.
1) Buy only mics that can be battery powered.
The Rode NTG-2 is one such mic, and comes in a kit with a shock mount and an XLR to 3.5mm impedance transformer for $280. It's a popular mic. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a comparable cardioid mic.
2) Buy an XLR to 3.5 adapter/preamp.
These attach to the bottom of your camera (where your tripod goes) and provide phantom power as well as amplification for your mics. Beachtek and juicedLink are good brands, and you can find them used on eBay for $100.
Is $900 your budget for everything? Hm.
Don't worry about it. Everyone starts somewhere, and you do what you can with what you have (or can get).
$900 is a tad low, though. I, too, have a small budget, but my very basic set up still runs in the ~$1200 range, and includes the camera, SD cards to record to, a longer life battery, a mic kit, a DIY boom, a DIY steadycam, and a very basic lighting kit. You could easily trim some of this and get down to $900, though.
As a student, you don't need much in a camera; just some basic manual controls, mic/headphone jacks, and decent image quality. There's a lot of decent higher end consumer HD camcorders around the ~$500 range, and that should leave you just enough to get a mic kit and other minor stuff you might need. From all I've read and seen, lately Canon tends to produce the best camcorders for budget filmmaking, but eh. Really, you could even get an old Panasonic SD camera from the mid-2000's. They're likely very cheap, and unless you need high definition, have just as many manual controls.
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Yep, don't worry about it at all. There's no point getting hung up on what you do and don't have, just get out there and start making stuff.
Just had a gander at eBay UK, and there are a couple of Canon XM1's at £150, with a day left on the auction and no bids. Probably worth a look - there's no mic input, but if you manage to get it for £200 or so you could probably afford an audio recorder as well.
Just had a gander at eBay UK, and there are a couple of Canon XM1's at £150, with a day left on the auction and no bids. Probably worth a look - there's no mic input, but if you manage to get it for £200 or so you could probably afford an audio recorder as well.